Good Right Hook
by bbgirl17555
Summary: Jolie, John and Natalie, Completed... Set during the KCK Storyline right after Natalie and Evangeline's fight.... John isn't the only one to hit the gym. Finished 4/24/08
1. Chapter 1

**Good Right Hook**

Set right after Natalie and Evangeline's fight… John isn't the only one to hit the gym.

**Chapter One**

Natalie followed Officer Kelland throw the grimy door with a roll of her eyes. "Please tell me why this is necessary again?"

Kelland grinned at the red head next him. "Get out some of those frustrations." He playfully jabbed at her jaw. "Can't be turning the squad room into a brawl fight unless there is gonna be mud involved."

Natalie glared comically at her co-worker as she fiddled with the straps of her black tank top. "I don't think Susan would like that."

Kelland approached the desk, drumming on the metal. "What my wife doesn't know won't hurt her." He jested back.

"Yeah right." Natalie said, wondering for the thousand time why she was there. Kelland had made the suggestion and Bo had agreed and the next thing Natalie knew she was at Llanfair changing and Kelland was driving her out of the way to this dump. "And tell me again how you got Uncle Bo to let us both off work?"

"Simple." Replied the blonde cop. "I told him I was helping his niece. That's some nice little pull you gotta there."

Natalie's face darkened, remembering acutely the sting from Evangeline's words, and wondering idly if that what the Buchanans still thought of her, someone to feel sorry for. "Yeah, I guess."

Kelland took in her sadden cerulean eyes while mentally kicking himself. He liked Natalie. She was great at her job, sure as hell made his life easier, and she knew how to make the best coffee, too bad every time she left Lt. McBain was always in such a sour mood. "Hey. I didn't mean it like that. You're good at your job, Natalie. Everyone loves you."

"Not everyone." She replied.

"So what happened today, not good but its over. You just stay out of Ms. Williamson's way-"

"Stay out of _her_ way?" Natalie cried. "What about her staying out of _my_ way? She comes down there on purpose just to cause problems and I'm supposed to stay out of her way?"

Kelland rocked back on his heels, quietly taking in Natalie's tirade with a humoring patience. "You're not gonna smack me, are you?"

"Funny." Natalie bit back. "I should for dragging me out here but Susan would never let me hear the end of it if I sent you home black and blue so I won't. For now."

"Good. Now come on, let's get you signed up, Tiger." He grabbed a form from the desk and slid it over to the voluptuous woman beside him.

Natalie took out a pen and began filling out the paperwork. "I can't believe I'm doing this." She grumbled. "And what sorta gym is named Rourke's anyway?"

Kelland just laughed at her fusing. "A real man's gym meaning there just might be someone here not afraid of fighting you."

Natalie sighed. "Its not the fighting that frightens them off. It's all the rest."

It wasn't the job that got to John; it was all the rest- Natalie, Evangeline, his brother, Father's day. The only thing that got to him about the job was when it got personal and this Killing Club killer now had developed a yen for Natalie.

His jabs became quick and hard as the image flashed in his head of Natalie dead, her snow white skin with a bluish tint as she lay still on a slab in the morgue. No, he wouldn't let that happen. No one else he love would die, no matter what he had to do, no matter if he had to smash her heart he would not lose her like he lost his dad and Caitlin.

"Hey!" Rourke called, approaching and steadying the bag that John had been pummeling. "Take it easy there. You okay Johnny Boy?"

John took a step back from the bag, wiping the sweat off his brow with his wrapped hand. "Yeah." He lied. He hadn't even realized how hard his hits were until Rourke stepped in, just like he didn't know how strongly he felt for Natalie until the words came pouring out of his mouth.

Rourke sent John a disbelieving look. "Any chance you wanna tell me about it?"

John sent him a weary smile. "It's gym, Rourke. Not a shrink's office."

"Rourke!" A dark hair trainer called his boss. "Gotta fresh meat here!"

Rourke groaned with a roll of his eyes. "Newbies. Everybody and their brother are out here since that Russell Crow movie hit the Cineplex."

"Good for business."

"Yeah but bad on my ulcer." The old trainer appraised John with a sweeping glance. "Hey, Johnny, why don't you go get yourself some water? I even got one of those mini fridge's in my office."

John forced a smile; it was obvious he was trying to help. "Yeah, I just might have to take you up on that."

Rourke smiled. "Good."

"Good." Kelland coached. "Now try again." Natalie sent two more quick jabs into his padded hand. "Better, now you're getting the hang of it."

Natalie wiped a stray hair from her face. "Somehow I don't think Uncle Bo would want you teaching me how to fight."

"Wouldn't be so sure about that. Kinda scared us all at the station with that stupid bait thing." Natalie ducked her head trying not to think of the anger and passion in John's eyes when he found her. "I thought Lt. McBain was gonna put a fist through the wall."

"I don't wanna talk about John." Natalie quickly cut in. "So show me again how I should turn my wrist."

"Like this." Rourke interrupted from behind Natalie, placing his large hand on her slender one. Natalie followed his motion. "Not bad for a beginner." He commented before smiling at Kelland. "Hey Officer, long time no see. Take it you and Susan hit a rough patch." He gestured with a nod of his head towards Natalie. "Gotta tell you, not smart to teach the new girlfriend how to throw a decent punch."

Kelland laughed. "This is Natalie. We work together."

"Do you?"

"Yes." Natalie glowered at his implication.

"Okay then, sweetheart. Tell me what I can do for you?"

Natalie was about to tell him where he could shove his sweetheart comment when Kelland stepped in. "Natalie got into a bit of an encounter this morning. The Commissioner and I thought it might be prudent to let her blow off a little steam."

"A brawler, eh?" Rourke grinned as Natalie glared at him. "Well you came to the right place, sweetheart. Come on. Let's get you some gloves for those pretty little mitts and then I will introduce you to this guy I know. He can really teach you up."

Natalie turned to Kelland. "I'm steam free. I promise."

Kelland just chuckled. "It won't be that bad. Who knows you might even enjoy it."

Natalie rolled her eyes at that but followed the two men anyway. "Fat chance."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

John emerged from Rourke's office water bottle in hand. He had spent several minutes staring at the photos on the wall, sons, fathers, brothers, friends- families. Somewhere between the snap shots John found himself thinking of his own father, his death, and what his father would think of him if he were still alive, probably that he brooded too much.

He exited the office with a bit of a puzzled frown, a crowd of the usual guys were concentrating in the door way to the ring, occasionally a fight would draw spectators but never this many. "Shawn!" John called over to a tall man, standing back a few steps from the rest. "What's all the commotion?"

Shawn disentangled himself from the crowd and moved toward John. "Pretty pathetic, isn't it?"

"What's pathetic?"

"The way we all stand around like it's a strip show instead of a boxing lesson." He smiled, gesturing to the abandoned bags around them. "Actually she's pretty good."

"She?" Now John got the picture.

"Yeah, what else could draw this much attention?" Shawn was right of course, it wasn't right to be ogling whoever she was but John's curiosity was peeked. He tried to see over the crowd with no luck. Shawn shook his head and let out a chuckle. "Oh man, not you too. Sure she's a hot little thing but come on man, get a hold of yourself!"

John shrugged off his friend's comment, frustrated that he couldn't see whoever was drawing so much attention. "I'm just surprised that Rourke let a girl in the club. What was that he always said about women and boxing?"

"That they are only good for getting the beer." Rourke answered, pushing his way out of the throng of gym patrons to talk to John. "How you feelin' there, Johnny Boy? Better?"

"Yeah." John admitted before shifting the conversation into safer channels. "So changed your mind on that beer rule?"

"Nah. Changed my mind about getting sued, gotta love those feminists." He replied with a groan.

"I dunno," John smiled. "I think you might be on to something here. Charge em for watching."

"Hey who is helping her anyway?" Shawn piped up.

"Jeremy. And speaking of charging I almost feel like he should be paying me. He's obviously enjoying himself- actually a little too much for my liking. All I need is a sexual assault charge to be filed. I would break it up if I hadn't seen sweetheart throw such a clean right hook earlier."

John knew Jeremy, quite the skirt chaser. Clean cut with a used car man smile, much too charming for his own good. He secretly hoped this new girl got in a few solid punches. "She any good?" John asked, drinking down some of his water.

"Yeah, yeah, she isn't bad. For a girl." Rourke added.

"For a girl?" John laughed.

"Yeah. Hey why don't you come meet her Johnny? You could keep an eye on them, make sure Jeremy doesn't try anything that could land him in jail or in traction."

John smiled, tossing his empty water bottle in the trash. "Well we wouldn't want anyone to get hurt, now would we?"

"We're not scared, are we?" Natalie taunted Kelland with a grin.

Kelland stood outside the ring. "Natalie..." He protested. "This really isn't a good idea. You're the Commissioner's niece..." He push his blonde hair back, trying to erase the dozen images or so that came to mind about how this could end badly.

Natalie bounced on the balls of her feet. "Come on, Kelland! Please? Pretty please?" She begged with a smile, her blue eyes large and sparkling with the rush of her first lesson.

Jeremy came up behind his newest student, stepping close behind her, and handing her a water bottle by draping an arm over her shoulder. "Here, Firecracker." Natalie rolled her eyes at his not so suave move before peeling off her gloves and taking the water. "So what trouble you getting Max into now?" Jeremy asked, looking at the nerve shattered officer.

"Kelland refuses to fight me." Natalie pouted, taking a long draw of water.

Jeremy grinned. "Probably for the best." Natalie turned on him ready to call him a traitor before he added on. "You would kill him and Firecracker? Dead cops rarely are good for business."

"See? Told you it was a bad idea."

"Max, honestly." Jeremy shook his head. "I said a fight was a bad idea. A match? There is nothing wrong with that. Hell I'm sure she'll take it easy on you." He placed a hand on Natalie's bare shoulder, finger running up and down her black strap of her tank top. "

"No, no, nope." Maxwell Kelland backed away from the ring. "Ain't gonna happen. I need my job."

"Please?" Natalie begged.

"No."

"Fine. I'll just have to go back to work and see if any of the officer would be willing to go a round since you're so scared."

Kelland paused as Natalie gloated triumphantly. His rep would never survive that. Groaning he entered the ring. "I hate you."

Natalie hugged him quickly. "Love you, too." Before turning to her coach. "Gonna keep me safe?" She teased with a flirtatious smile.

Jeremy helped her put on her gloves. "Oh I promise not to let anything happen to that gorgeous body." Natalie blushed slightly under the compliment, the tips of her ears flaming pink. Jeremy finished with the gloves and then ran his two hands up her arms and back down her sides, smoothing her black tank top. "All ready."

Natalie had sucked in a breath at the feel of his hands on his body. "So what do I do?"

Kelland stood reluctantly in the ring. "Don't kill me."

"How about we start with some practice sparring moves first?" Jeremy suggested.

"Good idea." Maxwell Kelland chimed in, wanting to delay what would surely end badly.

"Okay." Jeremy moved behind Natalie, his hard body pressing in her soft flesh as Kelland took his spot in front of her. Gliding his hands down her arms Jeremy moved her body, positioning her. "Take one step forward and jab twice." He instructed. "Don't actually go for the hit, just feel the movement in your arms. You got that?" He stepped back from the slightly breathless red head.

"Yeah I think I so..." Natalie answered, slightly dazed.

"Okay. Go." Jeremy instructed.

Kelland moved slightly and Natalie followed his foot work, then jabbed twice like Jeremy had instructed, keeping control so that her glove stopped a mere inch from Kelland's face. "Good!" Jeremy offered up. "Now try a right cross."

"Okay." Natalie smiled, as she went in for another non-contact punch.

"Natalie?" A voice came out from the crowd and as she spun to see who called her name, her arm trust forward, catching Kelland across the jaw.

Kelland backed off wincing in pain as Natalie's eyes locked on to John's, shock and confusion mirroring her own. She broke the gaze to look at her partner, now injured. "Oops."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

"Oh god, Kelland! I'm so sorry." Natalie pulled off her gloves and approached her injured partner who was holding his face in his hand. She sent one wary glance in John's direction as she crossed the ring. "Are you alright?" She kneeled in front of the officer, trying to inspect the damage.

Jeremy came up behind her grin like a wild cat. "You got skills, Firecracker!"

Natalie sent him an annoyed glare. "Can't you see he's hurt?"

"Oh just shake it off, man." Jeremy scrunched up his nose in disgust. "She's just a girl."

"Who happens to hit like a Mac truck." Maxwell Kelland groaned, shooting pains jolting down his face.

Rourke stepped into the ring. "Hey buddy, how you doin?" He crouched in front of his hurt patron, lifting his chin to the light. "Yup that's gonna be a shiner. Hey Jeremy! Help me take him into the office, get him a cold beer and some ice."

Jeremy opened his mouth to protest but a look from his boss made him close it with a soft plop. He ran a hand over Natalie's shoulder and down her arm, letting his fingers linger a second too long. "Don't sweat it, baby. I'll be in the office. Just go get yourself some water and take a break."

Natalie nodded, standing as they lead Kelland away. Great, just what she needed, first Evangeline and then this; the station would never stop buzzing about her now. Running a hand over her mussed ponytail she stepped out of the ring, taking a seat on the wooden benches that lined the wall. Guilt circling heavy around her, she closed her cyan eyes only to find a bottle of water hanging in the air when she opened them.

"Here." John sat the bottle in her tiny hands. "Drink this."

Natalie didn't speak but took the water, twisting off the cap and taking a long sip before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. It was a move that Viki would have disapproved of, but that was Natalie, brass and color. "What are you doing here?" She asked when she could no longer stall, her voice icy. "Did Uncle Bo send you?"

John's forehead creased as confusion burrowed lines in his skin. "Why would Bo send me down here?"

Natalie stood, shifting her weight. She really didn't want to have to tell John about her run in with Evangeline. "I dunno." She shrugged, walking around him. "Thought he might have wanted you to blow off some steam, I mean you've been wrapped in that Killing Club case 24-7."

John's mind flashed to the diner, the fear and swelling emotions when he thought it was her, and again in the woods, her death sentence just inches away from her beautiful face. Yes, he wasn't letting go of the Killing Club case, he couldn't, not when the killer's next victim might be her. "Nah, this is my gym. So…" He ran a hand over his sweat covered neck. "Is that what you're doing here? Blowing off steam?"

Natalie laughed quietly to herself, humor far from her weary mind. She turned away from John, but his eyes still left imprints on her skin, tingling jolt of electricity. And she was slipping again, she did it whenever he was around, let herself think that this connection was enough, that she didn't need him to love her. But she did.

"Natalie…" John started, than stopped. What could he say to her? It had all been said in his room, he couldn't be her soul mate, no that position was held by the dead man in Statesville prison, and the rest… well lies could comfort.

"What?" The turn of her head was sharp, the question grating.

"I-" John paused searching for the right words. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay." He finished lamely.

Natalie smiled but her blue eyes were hard. "Me? Just peachy."

"Natalie…" John warned.

"What?" She asked. "What do you want me to do, John? Just keep running to you with all of my problem? You gonna be my shoulder to cry on? Somehow I don't think your girlfriend would like that."

She attempted to brush past him, but John grabbed her arm and spun her to face him, pulling her body close, her rushed breath caressing his skin and fire snapping in her eyes. "If something is wrong, Natalie, you can tell me. We're-" He paused as she wrenched herself from his grasp.

"Friends?" She asked with a deceptively sweet tone.

John stopped, danger signs flashing in his head, not to lie to her again, not to pretend that's all they were but he didn't have a choice. He couldn't admit to her how he felt, it didn't change anything.

Natalie shook her head, disgust and pity mingled on her gorgeous face. "Yeah, I thought so." She turned on her heel and walked away with angry steps but John was behind her, and she could hear his pleas for her to stop, to talk to him, but she didn't care. She couldn't keep being toyed with. John's hands found her shoulders and pulled her to a stop, forcing her to face him. "Let me go, John." Natalie warned through clenched teeth.

"Not until we talk about this."

"John, I'm warning you…"

"What, Natalie? You can't keep running!"

"Running?" Natalie asked in disbelief, still struggling to throw off John's grip. "Look whose talking! That's all you ever do!"

"Fine, let's talk about that then." John had no intention of talking about it at all; he just knew he couldn't let her go. Something had shifted, was shifting, in their relationship, sand moving beneath his feet that he couldn't control. And he didn't like it. It spurned the same feelings he had when that weasel Cramer had been in the picture. And he just knew that he couldn't let her go.

"Well, fine! You can talk about. With Mickey or a shrink, or whoever! I don't care, right now I'm going to go check on Kelland."

But John wouldn't relinquish his hold. "Not until we talk about this first." He insisted.

But Natalie was not in the mood to be penned in to talk, especially by John- passive aggressive silence- McBain. So instead she pulled back her arm, and all John ever saw was stars.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

For a moment Natalie walked away, long powerful strides, anger radiating off over her before she couldn't help but pause and turn around. There was something about John that always seemed to pull her back in; an invisible tether forged in pain and chemistry. They could only move so far away before it became too tight around their gut and they had no choice but to return. "Are you alright?"

John sat with his right hand pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just great." He muttered through his pain. He waited for Natalie to say something, or to take up residence on the bench beside him but she just stood there, her waist at his eye level. "Aren't you going to apologize?" He finally asked.

Natalie, who had been pretending to study the ceiling, looked at him sharply. "For what?"

"For what?" John's voice rose an octave too loud. "For this!" He gestured to his face

"I don't see anything to apologize for." Natalie replied flippantly. "Some guy wouldn't let me go so I had to defend myself." Her arms crossed over her chest without her even noticing.

John tried to remember that this was Natalie and when backed into a corner she came out swinging, literally. "So now I am someone that you have to defend yourself from?" There was a bite of hurt in his tone.

Natalie sighed, sitting down next to him. "I don't even know anymore."

"Gee thanks a lot." How did it come to this? How did it go from them being able to tell each other everything to not being able to find any words at all?

"Sorry." Natalie admitted. "This just wasn't how it was supposed to turn out."

"How was it supposed to turn out?"

Natalie wouldn't answer, she couldn't. As a kids in A.C. all she had wanted was to run away to find a new home, a new family. She had all of that so why didn't it stop the aching in her chest? "Just different I guess." She shrugged. "Uncle Bo is going to kill me."

John shook his head. He of all people understood how quickly Nat could ignite an inferno but that it smothered itself just as fast. Being hard on Natalie was useless, no one could possibly be as tough on her as she was on herself. "No, he won't. He understands you."

She stood, fidgeting, always had to be moving, running from something, or to something- it made no difference. "That's almost worse. I want to be a good niece, like Jessica and then I go and have a screaming match, at my job no less, and then I mange to give two of his cops shiners."

"Screaming match?" John questioned. "Do I want to know about this?" He already knew the answer.

"Probably not," Natalie grimaced. "I will let someone else tell you about it. I am sure that station is still buzzing about it. Smart move on my part, I just gave them something else to talk about." She reached down gently to touch John's swollen face, her fingers like butterfly wings barely caressing the injury.

John closed his eyes, her blue ones burning too brightly, searing him. He tried to block out the sensation of small blue sparks flying from her fingertips, electricity almost tangible.

"Sorry." Natalie withdrew her hand, mistaking his movement for pain.

"It's okay." He told her. But it wasn't. The absence of her touch had left him reeling, feeling cold and slightly dizzy. He wanted to drink her in, to run his hands through her blazing red hair, to be reduced to ashes in her eyes. He wanted her, God help him- he did. But he couldn't bring himself to do anything but to sit there as still as a stone, cold as a block of ice and try not to melt beneath her sweltering touch.

"Hey." A voice cut through John's revere, breaking the immediacy bubble he seemed to always exist in when Natalie and he touched. Jeremy was carrying a bottle of bear. He took a swig and held it out to Natalie. "Damn, Firecracker, another one?" He seemed amused by the situation and didn't even protest when she politely shook her head no at his outstretched drink.

"Sadly yes." Natalie seemed almost sheepish as she stood shifting her weight. "I think I better get Kelland to take me home before I hurt someone else."

"No can do." Jeremy smiled that too perfect to be true smile, a con man's best feature "He and Rourke left for the bar ten minutes ago. "

"Well that's just great." She groaned.

"Hey, Firecracker, don't sweat it. I can give you a lift home. My corvette is right outside."

John tried to suppress the beast that rose inside of him as he watched Jeremy play with the ends of her long crimson mane. Jeremy was a jerk, the type of skirt chaser that broke girl's hearts. Surely Natalie would see through his act. There was no need to tear him limb from limb. "That'd be great! Are you sure you can?" Natalie apparently wasn't seeing through anything.

Jeremy was just about to thank his lucky stars and grab his keys when John stood. "That's not really necessary. I can take Natalie home."

"Really, "Jeremy maintained through clenched teeth. "I don't mind."

"I insist." The possessiveness rolled off of John in waves. "We can't have anything happening to the Police Commissioner's niece, now can we?"

Natalie stood with her mouth agape at the showdown they were having. She almost felt like handing them pistols and telling them to count ten paces. "Hello? Standing right here, "She announced.

John registered the very exasperated look on her sweet face. Before she could start dialing a cab or worse haul off and hit someone again he grabbed her by the arm and with a last seething glance at Jeremy leaned down and kissed her.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

John wasn't prepared for the inferno that swallowed him whole. A taunt to a school yard bully ended with his lips crashing against hers, her tongue winding it way into his mouth as he breathed her in, drank every drop. Her body was pulled flesh against him and he couldn't remember if he did or she did and he didn't care. Fingers tangled in the spun fire of her hair, melting into one another, searing, smoldering, and then reality crashed. With a thunder like crack, Natalie ripped herself from him.

She stood slightly panting, fingertips playing against her slightly bruised and swollen lips. Her eyes darted from John to Jeremy and back, finally settling on John, disgust written across her face, before darting out of the room

Jeremy couldn't help the grin that broke out across his face. "Way to go, Romeo."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

John found her standing a block down from the back entrance, arms wrapped around herself as she scanned the street for non existence traffic. It was evident she was waiting for something, someone. "You, cold?" He offered, shrugging out of his leather jacket and placing it around her shoulders.

The leather was soft against her skin and John's scent clung to it but she quickly pulled it off, balled it up, and threw it at him. "No thank you." It was the polite thing to say, her voice was anything but. The icy bite made John cringe.

"Natalie, about back there…" He gestured, wordlessly. God, he wasn't very good at this sorta thing. What did she want from him? On second thought he didn't want to know.

"You wanna talk about what just happened back there?" She asked eagerly.

"Natalie.. I just-"

"You just used me in your pissing contest with that trainer." Her directness shocked him, but it shouldn't have. That was Natalie, all bold and brass, she fit in with the bright neon signs of A.C., subtly be damned. There was fury evident in her face and hurt hiding in her voice, an annoying prompt that though she did not show it, she was easily wounded.

John ran a hand through his hair, mentally kicking himself. "Natalie…" He reached out to her.

She pulled back; it was normally his line, draw away. "Would you just stop it already?" she shut her eyes with a wince.

"Stop what?"

Her cobalt eyes flew open, aghast at his ignorance. "Stop saying my name like that."

"Like what?" He asked, generally interested.

"Like by saying it, it will fix everything!" John didn't know what to say to that. Mentally he rolled the name around on his tongue; it tasted like honey, sticky sweet. "Ya know what? Why don't you just go?"

"I'm not gonna just leave you here, Nat-"He caught himself with one irate glare sent from her. "This isn't the best part of town."

Natalie snorted. "I can take care of myself. It's not like I have anyone else I can count on."

John knew that her words were a sharpened arrow meant to cut deep, but it didn't lessen the blow. How could she think that? He would do anything for her; he would lay down his own life. "Oh so that wasn't you I just saved from the Killing Club Killer? It must not have been your head that arrow barely missed because, you, you can take care of yourself!"

"Oh now you want to talk about that night, John?" She challenged, invading his space, lighting crackling between them. "Want to tell me again how what you said didn't mean anything? Want to tell me again how we are just- friends?" The word danced in front of them, a thinly veiled cover of what they truly were.

The moment stood suspended in between them, blue eyes each daring the other to make a move. This is what is always boiled down to; they were trapped here, more than friends but less than lovers. So easily it could all be changed, it could be different. He knew he should just walk away, save them both the heartache but being near her was the sweetest kind of pain. Natalie drove him crazy, drove him wild, and breathed existence into the dead man he had been, cracked open his shell and showed him life.

John approached her; his movements were slows and deliberate, as if she were a deer in headlights about to bolt. Bringing a hand to her face, the pad of his thumb caressed her cheek brushing away a single tear that fell. "Shhhh."

She fell into his open embrace, the stress of the day, pouring into his strong arms. She wanted to ask him why, why couldn't it just be them. Why couldn't they just stay like that forever? He kissed the top of her head in a protective move that broke her heart; Roxy never tucked her in with goodnight kisses and hugs. She was learning how to be loved late, maybe too late for him.

When she uncoiled herself from his embrace, he placed two strong hands on her shoulders. "Hey. You okay?"

"You mean besides making a fool of myself again?"

He shook his head. "You're not a fool, Natalie. And this thing, with us?" He took a deep breath, scanning the skies for a second before resting his gaze on hope-filled eyes. "Who says we have to define it? Why can't it just be?"

Natalie nodded. It was something. It was small, but it was something A token, a word, a look- it was all so little but it was all they had; moments, tiny moments, to just be them. She raised her hand to his swollen face. "I think it's going to leave a mark." She apologized sheepishly.

Of course it would, John mused, everything Natalie did left a mark; her fingerprints were all over his heart. "I'll survive." He forced a smile that she returned. "I have to say that is one good right hook you have there."

"Really?" Natalie asked, a smile teasing at the corner of her lips.

"Too good." He admitted and a giggle escaped her lips, and he felt a sense of contentment rush through him. "Come on." He said, grabbing a hold of her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers. "Let's get you home."

Together they walked towards his car and John mentally added reason number 72 to the list of reasons they should never be together, she throws a nasty punch, but it didn't matter. He would never make it past number one, loving him could get her killed. Still he let himself soak in this moment; this was all they had, all they could have.

**The End.**

_A/N: I know not a very fluffy ending but I wanted it to fit into the old cannon storyline. I hope everyone enjoyed it and I am sorry it took me so long to finish it. I am currently working on a bit of an epic Jolie fic which I hope to post shortly. Thanks all! –Becca-_


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